Ties That Bind
by elvenrarehunter
Summary: Ian's bailed out of jail...but doesn't have any idea who the people are. Ian, used to being the criminal mastermind, is blackmailed into working for a strange employer. Sorry the summary stinks. R&R No flames please.
1. Prologue

**Secret Lies**

By: elvenrarehunter

_Disclaimer: Don't own it, never have, never will. Don't make me say it again (huggles Ian plushie)_

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Ian's back faced the guard who was locking the cell. He looked at a blank wall in front of him. Waiting until he heard the click of the keys in the lock and the footfalls of the guards growing faint, he turned around violently and slammed his fist into the iron bars, leaving a dent. His hand hurt, but he didn't care. He supposed he had gotten himself into this mess by his own fault. He walked back toward the small bed and lay back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He had little to do, so he shut his eyes and began to plot revenge for if he ever got out of this iron pen. 

_Iron Pen_…Ha, he remembered that day clearly. They day when he backstabbed his friend, though he wouldn't call him a friend, he supposed, more of a pawn.

At least an hour had passed and he was nearly asleep when he heard the click in the lock. He opened one eye, half in curiosity, the other half out of sheer boredom. The guard stood there, a large man, though only slightly bigger than himself. He swung the keys around one finger.

"What do you want?" Ian growled, closing his eyes again.

"Someone's posted bail for you," he said. Ian opened both eyes and raised an eyebrow, but did not let his surprise reveal itself to the guard. Someone paid his bail? He'd only been in here about a week. "Personally, I couldn't care less if you rot here. Would serve you right for stealin' the Declaration of Independence," he continued. Ian rolled his eyes. He didn't feel like getting into the technicalities. "Anyway, what's the hold up? Get up," the guard commanded. Ian didn't feel like standing up to him, though he could very well hold his own against him. He got up, shoving his hands in his pockets and approaching the guard, who pushed him out ahead of him. Ian and his short temper grew tired of being manhandled. He walked out into the area of the jail that faced the front doors. A young man and young woman stood there and looked at him.

The young woman wore flare jeans and white sneakers with a black tank top. Around her neck was a chain of sorts, but whatever hung at the bottom hid itself underneath her shirt. The young man wore a black muscle shirt with slightly baggy jeans. He too had a chain around his neck, and again the charm hid itself. Ian had never seen these people in his life. The young man walked over to him and grabbed his arm. Ian jerked back, but the young man held fast. The kid must have been at least seven years his junior, yet he had no problem keeping Ian within his grasp. The young man looked at him with steely grey eyes.

"You're supposed to be our brother. Act like it!" he hissed as he pretended to give him a brotherly hug. Ian was a little confused, but put up a façade of brotherly love. The girl smiled and looked at him, her eyes betraying her feigned happiness. She ran over to him and hugged him. She was at least a head and a half shorter than him, so he patted her awkwardly on the head.

"Thank you officer," she said, smiling at the man who she had been talking to. She pulled Ian's arm and he resisted a little. "C'mon bro," she said. He sighed and walked with them to the end of the street. When they were out of view of the jail, she dropped Ian's hand and fixed her hair, pulling it back into a low ponytail. "Alright, I'm done with that," she said, immediately changing her stride from the jaunty gait she had just been using to a strong, impish tread. She pulled car keys out of her pocket and tossed them to the young man. He caught them and unlocked a silver convertible. The girl clamored into the back and the young man got into the driver's seat. Ian stared at them for a moment.

"What are you waiting for?" the young man asked impatiently. Ian looked at him.

"I'm supposed to get in a car with two complete strangers who bailed me out of jail for absolutely no apparent reason?" he asked. It sounded even more ridiculous out loud than it did in his head.

"Duh, we just bailed you out of jail. That means you have a monetary obligation to us," the girl said, flipping open a compact mirror and fixing her lip gloss. Ian supposed they were right. He got into the car and the young man pulled away.

A few miles down the road, Ian broke the awkward silence.

"Can I at least know who it is I owe money to?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue. The girl rolled her eyes.

"If you must know, I'm Alexa-Kayleigh, but if you call me anything other than AK, you'll have the receiving end of a gun to deal with," she said.

"Shut up," the young man said, rolling his eyes. "I'm Jerid McDowns, by the way. And you're Ian Howe, criminal mastermind who stole the Declaration of Independence." Ian rolled his eyes.

"Wasn't me," he said. Jerid waved a hand to brush it aside.

"Technicalities," he said.

"So where're we going?" he asked.

"To see the big bad boss," AK said from the back. Ian leaned his head against the headrest of the seat. It was going to be a long ride, no matter the destination.

* * *

_Hope you liked._


	2. Chapter 1

_Hello again. I'm surprised this got as many reviews as it did. I usually don't get that many reviews on a lesser written subject. To:_

psycho elf: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I'm also looking forward to more of your stories.

Meredith A. Jones: Thank you, I hope this chapter is better than the first.

_Now, on with the chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

The convertible came to a halt outside a large mansion protected by an unwelcoming iron gate. Atop the immovable barricade were spikes as long as Ian's forearm. He laughed under his breath. 

"What's so funny?" AK asked.

"Not very hospitable is he?" Ian asked. AK rolled her eyes. Jerid got out and AK walked around to the driver's seat and got in.

"I'm gonna go park it 'round back," she said. Jerid shrugged.

"Just be sure you don't mangle it like the other ones.

"Oh, come now, I've only done it once," she said.

"Twice, a Ferrari and a Corvette," Jerid said. She stuck out her tongue and drove away. Ian followed Jerid up the path to the front of the house. Bushes lined the path nearest the door and on the bushes were roses which were the color of freshly fallen snow. Thorns protruded from every direction. Ian got stuck on a couple but paid them no mind as he freed himself from their bloodthirsty clutches.

They reached the door after what seemed like an eternity to Ian, but it was no more welcoming than the gate. On the faded wood hung a doorknocker which had been moldering since it had been put there. Yet clearly discernable was the face of a gargoyle with large teeth. The eyes were empty and on the teeth was a dark substance that Ian wasn't too sure he wanted to investigate. Jerid grabbed the knob and opened the door, which creaked on its old hinges. The room inside was well lit and the windows were open in hopes of tempting in the nonexistent breeze. Ian wandered in and Jerid walked away, disappearing up the stairs. Ian stood looking about for a moment.

"Mr. Howe, I presume," came a voice from behind him. He turned to see a woman of slightly shorter stature. She was clothed in a loose fitting periwinkle dress with gold trim around the bottom, edge of the bell sleeves, and the neck. She had about her neck a silver key and on her feet were sandals of what looked to be Egyptian origin. Her long, chocolate brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail at the back of her head.

"Yes," he answered.

"I hope my cronies have not tortured you with their incessant fighting," she said, walking into the parlor. Ian followed reluctantly and was amazed at the assortment of pictures of assorted nobility.

"Who are you," he said, seemingly out of the blue.

"Ah, not one for chit-chat are we?" she asked. Ian cast her a glance that clearly said he wasn't in the mood, then returned to looking at the pictures hung on the wall. The woman twisted a lock of hair in her finger. "My name is Kaida Leiko Ilori."

"And this is supposed to mean something to me?" he asked. Ian tore his eyes away from a painting of a noblewoman who was bedecked like royalty and looked at her. She stood up and walked over to him, making herself as menacing as possible.

"It's supposed to mean something to the person I bailed out of prison," she said, silver eyes shining malevolently. Ian tried to think of a witty remark, but none was coming to mind. Seeing this, the woman sauntered back over to the couch. "Please, sit." She sat down and grabbed the glass of lemonade that was in front of her, taking a sip. Ian took the chair across from her. "Mr. Howe, I trust that it is in your less-than-noble personality to sit down and hear a proposal straight through to the end, am I correct?" she asked.

"I suppose it depends on the proposition," he said. She smiled.

"Yes, I believe does. However, I also believe that this is an offer you can refuse," she said. Ian cocked an eyebrow. She motioned to the other glass that was sitting on the tray. "Lemonade?" she asked. Ian took the glass but did not take a sip out of it.

"What do you mean by an offer I can't refuse?" he asked.

"Oh, it's quite simple, Mr. Howe. I bailed you out of jail. Therefore, you have an obligation to repay me, by services or monetary reimbursement. I propose this: you are a criminal mastermind, I may dare to even venture saying a criminal genius. I have two lackeys who are ready and willing to go treasure hunting," she said.

"Treasure hunting?" Ian asked.

"Oh yes, Mr. Howe, you heard me correctly, treasure hunting," she said, sipping her lemonade once more. She looked out the window. "They say that hidden within the sands of Egypt, there lies a great treasure, even superior to that which Mr. Benjamin Gates found her in the United States. I suggest we go hunting for it," she said. "I leave the decision to you. I can put you back in jail just as easily as I got you out."

"And what do I get in return?" Ian asked. It was all well and good that he was out of jail, but he wanted some sort of reward for taking something like this on. Kaida smiled.

"You'll get a rather large share of the treasure and you will be free to go on your way. I would hold you to no further obligations," she said.

"How long to I get to…consider…your offer?" he asked.

"You have until Saturday, Mr. Howe. And until your decision, I bid you good day," she said, setting her glass on the tray and getting up. She walked out of the room and she left Ian alone with his thoughts.

* * *

_Well, please tell me what you think. Constructive criticism welcomed, but please do not flame me. Until next time._


	3. Chapter 2

_This is a really short update time, but I didn't have anything to do today, so I decided I would work on this and, lo and behold! A chapter was born. I'm pleased with it. I hope I gave a little more insight as to the kind of character Kaida is without taking away too much of the mystery surrounding her. Hopefully the plot is off and rolling. And because I'm a sucker, I decided at the last second to add Ben in. So he will be in the story. To: _

Meredith A. Jones: Thanks! I think Kaida's really fun to write. Yeah, homework sucks. Hey, I'm waiting for an update, no? Well, hope you enjoy this chappie.

The Relic Hunter: Thanks, I'm glad you like the set up of the story. I thought the prologue was a little shaky, but I'm hoping it gets better. (_blushes_) Aw…thank you. I've tried to slow it down a little because during the hunt, it will speed up a little bit. I hope you guys like it. Thanks again and I hope I don't let you guys down.

_Also, Kudos to you if you know where the unidentified quote came from._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Ian had spent most of his time during the week walking around the large estate. There were many secluded alcoves where he would go and sit for a long while. It was as if he could shut himself away from the inevitable in these times where he was alone. He had borrowed a book from the ostentatious library which he read on occasions. His favorite spot to relax was next to one of the numerous fountains on which was a kneeling angel with a griffon lying in front of her. The two seemed to have such a special connection that it soothed Ian just to be around it. The angel, in fascinating detail, had a kimono on which was decorated with a dragon and sitting in her lap, resting against griffon's wings, was a orb that was crafted to look frosted, even in the dead of summer. Etched into the three foot stone wall was a series of shamrocks, faded, but discernable nonetheless. It was on one such occasion that Ian had a chance meeting. 

He had been sitting under the stone arch, reading his book when he heard a short cry and a splash. Ian looked up and saw that there was a young girl, getting up and trying to climb out of the fountain with her sundress clinging to her wet form. The simple hat that she had been wearing had landed cockeyed on the glass orb. Ian walked shut his book.

"Do you need help?" he asked. The girl looked over.

"If you don't mind, sir," she said, giving up on trying to get out of the fountain herself, for she stood less than a foot taller than the wall. Ian reached over the wall and picked her up, getting the white tee he was wearing soaked. He grabbed her hat while he had her balanced on one hip and he backed away from the fountain. He gave her the hat back.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked. The girl began to ring out her dress as she pointed.

"Up there," she said, pointing to a rather high wall that had an opening, where water from a river flowed into the fountain, creating the effect of a waterfall.

"How'd you get up there?" he asked.

"Mama's up there," she said.

"Who—" he started to ask, but did not finish the question as Kaida came gliding down the set of stairs opposite stone arch where he had, just moments before, been reading. She stopped dead when she caught sight of him.

"Come, Phailin, leave Mr. Howe to his solitude," she said, almost condescendingly. He wasn't quite sure whether he or Phailin, the girl, was the target of the patronization. Phailin smiled at him.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Howe," she said, doing the best curtsy she could with her wet dress on. She ran over to Kaida, who picked her up and balanced her on one hip. Ian went back to his place under the stone arch, but found he could not manage to keep his mind on the printed words.

* * *

Saturday had finally rolled around and it was the time just before sunset where it is still light enough to see, but darkening and dashing any hopes that the light inspired. Ian stood next to the fountain, gazing at the orb resting against the griffon's wings. He was entranced by the strange reflection it gave off, reflecting starlight and moonlight. Footsteps gave warning to an intruder in "his" place of solitude. He looked over and saw Kaida with a light sash draped about her shoulders. He turned to fully face her. She smiled and cocked her head. 

"Somehow I knew I'd find you here," she said, fiddling with a coin that hung about her neck next to the key which Ian hadn't noticed before. The coin bore two images, the first was the head of a raven, the second, a strange hand which, in place of the palm, had a spiral. "A place where one can find solace in solitude," she said, walking around the fountain, avoiding the direct route to Ian. "Though it seems strange that you might choose here, at the feet of this statue, as the place in which you seek your isolation."

"Why's that?" Ian asked.

"This statue is symbolic. Example, the shamrocks you see etched on the bottom represent luck and good fortune, the dragon on the angel's kimono, wisdom. The griffon, the protection of the treasures of heaven and earth, and the orb—"

"Represents the pearl of truth and wisdom," Ian whispered. Kaida folded her arms over her chest.

"Very good, Mr. Howe, you know your European mythology," she said. By this time, she was standing in front of him.

"I had a…friend…who was a history buff," he said. She smiled.

"Benjamin Gates, no?" she asked. She took the silence that followed as an answer that spoke volumes. "So have you come to a decision?" she asked, seating herself on the fountain and running her fingers through the water. Ian turned his back to Kaida and looked up at the stars. "Teach me your mood, O patient stars! Who climb each night the ancient sky, leaving on space no shade, no scars, no trace of age, no fear to die." Ian looked back at her. "Emerson, The Poet."

"Was never much of a lit person," he said.

"So, Mr. Howe, what is your decision?"

"I'll do it," he said, resignedly. Her eyes flashed triumphantly, but it was gone in a matter of seconds.

"Then to you, Mr. Howe, I give you this," she said, handing him a leather cord with a coin attached to it, similar to the one that hung around her neck. On one side was minted a winged dragon of European origin, on the other was an owl in flight, the moon in between its wings. She smiled. "You're one of us now," she smiled, closing his hand over the coin. With that, she swept out of the garden, followed, after a brief hesitation, by Ian, leaving the garden as empty as it had been when Ian first found it. The only thing different was the book lying with its pages open under the stone arch.

* * *

Ian sat alone in the room given to him by Kaida. The moonlight filtered in through the curtains and dust. The room itself made Ian oddly nostalgic, bringing back memories that he didn't wish to have surface…

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_The card table had been set up inside the snug trailer where Ian and Ben and Riley had been staying. It was where the three called home as they searched for the secret treasure that Ben's mind was always on. They were playing poker. Riley moaned._

"_That's the eighth time in a row I've lost!" he said, looking at Ian, who was smiling and laughing at the bad fortune of his friend. _

"_What makes it even worse is that you lost every hand to me," he said._

"_Ian, you are such a—" Riley started._

"_Ah, Riley, language," Ben scolded. _

"_You're not the one that folded when faced with a pair of twos when you had a pair of kings!" he said. _

"_True luck consists not in holding the best cards at the table: luckiest he who knows just when to rise and go home," Ben said. Riley nodded and got up._

"_I'm turning in," he said, leaving the chair where it was. Ian pulled out a couple of sodas after Riley had left, handing one to Ben and taking one for himself._

"_Can't believe you pulled it off, more than once," he said. _

"_Can't believe it myself. Didn't think Riley was that gullible," Ian said. They both shared a good-natured laugh. There was a pause for a moment._

"_Ian?"_

"_What?"_

"_Do you think we'll ever find it?"_

"_The treasure? Yeah," Ian said, taking a swig of his soda._

"_We've been searching for what feels like forever," he said. _

"_Good things come to those who wait," Ian said, finishing off the can of soda and placing it in the sink. He clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Our hunt resumes tomorrow," he said, disappearing into his room. Ben followed suit, finishing his soda and putting the can in the sink, but he did not go into his room, he resolved himself to reading._

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

Ben blinked as he realized he had lapsed into a state of nostalgia. He put a hand to his forehead as he remembered that he was at home, not in the trailer that he fondly remembered. He realized what had awakened him from his reverie. The phone was ringing. Ben reached over without a second thought and picked up the phone. 

"Hello?"

"Ben."

"Kaida?!" He asked in alarm. She gave a low chuckle.

"Catch me if you can." She said, and with that the line went dead.

* * *

_As always, constructive criticisms and your thoughts on the story are always appreciated. Just to prevent any confusion (I will do this in later chapters when other characters come in with different names) this is how I envision the names being pronounced. This is very open to interpretation._

_Kaida -Ky-duh_

_Phailin -Fey-lynn_

_This is really just a note to myself. Well, please review, but don't flame me._


	4. Chapter 3

_This is the latest installment. The last part of the chapter with Kaida and a strange personality quirk probably will not make sense until next chapter, which is indeed in progress._

freak and proud: Thanks, I know I need to update. Lost Under the Surface has come to a complete standstill because I can't think of anything. Wotsits…very descriptive…

Meredith A. Jones: Yes, I'm waiting for your story, but you updated, so it's my turn. I hope you feel better and get some more time soon. Yeah, I was thinking about not putting him in, but decided it would be more fun. I was just pondering your dilemma about the link and realized that if you put spaces in between the letters the link works, I did that on my bio. It might work.

TheRelicHunter: Thank you. The little Ben Gates muse kept bugging me to put him in, so I figured it might be a good idea. Thanks, it's so true. There are too many authors who parade that they are good stuff and its got so many grammatical errors and spacing and spelling errors and…(_shudders_) Yeah, glad you think that I'm not one of those authors. I'm not saying my spelling is perfect (far from it) and I know my grammar is not all that good, but I'm learning.

Soccer-Bitch: Glad it caught your attention.

Ashti: That is a good point, that he might not be able to leave on bail, but since it never happened and it never will (_knock on wood_) I guess we'll never know what would really happen, no? Yeah, the relationship between Jerid and AK will be established throughout the story. I'm glad to hear your thoughts and opinions. All authors need constructive criticism. As soon as I can get my other one up (which would mean that I would have to finish writing the first chapter) would you mind reading that and telling me what you think. It will have a similar plot line (Ian gets outta jail and goes treasure hunting) but the circumstances will be completely different (he's not bailed outta jail, its of his own free will, etc.) I'm glad that you think it has potential and I really appreciate your honesty. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was yelling at you in this because I wasn't, I was merely explaining myself. I hope you will continue to read this.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Ben paced back and forth in front of a park bench, upon which sat a very confused Abigail and Riley, who stared at Ben in disbelief. 

"Wait a minute, back up. Ian's out of jail?" Riley asked. Ben gave an exasperated gesture.

"Thank you for joining the conversation, Riley. Yes, Ian is out of jail," Ben said, the first part a bit more derisive than he would have liked it to be.

"And who's this Kaida person?" Abigail asked.

"An old acquaintance of mine," Ben answered quickly. Abigail and Riley exchanged glances at this speedy answer. Ben sighed, frustrated. "Look, will you help me or not?" he asked. Abigail gave him a questioning look.

"Would I let you go adventuring without me after that mishap with the Declaration of Independence? Of course I'm coming with you," Abigail said, getting up and walking over to him. Riley got up as well.

"Do you really think you can leave me behind?" he asked, walking over and clapping Ben on the shoulder. "Of course I'm coming with you. Ben nodded in relief and let out a breath he hadn't been holding.

"Thanks guys," he said.

"Alright, now where are we going?" Riley asked.

* * *

"Here," Kaida said, pointing to a mark on a map that she had rolled out on a large table. "This is where we start our journey." Ian looked closer at the map. 

"Damietta?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Kaida looked at him.

"Do you have a problem with that Mr. Howe?" she asked, glaring at him. Jerid and AK leaned silently against the wall on either side of the table as Phailin clung to her mother's skirt.

"Why are we starting so far away from where our destination is?" he asked. Kaida put a hand on her hip.

"I have my reasons Mr. Howe, I suggest you do not question them. I assure you there is method to my madness," she said, glaring icily at him before sweeping out the door with AK and Phailin on her heels. Jerid stted forward when they were gone and smiled.

"That was cold. I felt chills all the way over here," he said to Ian, who shrugged.

"I have a habit of making people do that," he said. Jerid laughed good-naturedly. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Phailin poked her head in the door.

"Mr. Howe, Jay, mama says we're leaving," she said. Jerid walked over and picked Phailin up. She giggled as Ian smiled and made his way over to the door. Approaching Jerid, he ruffled Phailin's hair and she beamed. The three left the room with the map laying wide open on the table.

Waiting outside were Kaida and AK in an emerald green convertible. AK reclined in the back and Kaida lounged in the front. Catching sight of the two men and her daughter, she changed her posture and buckled her seatbelt. Jerid walked around to the driver's seat, handing Phailin to AK. Ian took the back seat behind Kaida. He noticed that she had, for once, put her hair up in a tight bun. When Jerid pulled away, Ian was grateful for that. The wind whipped all over the place. Phailin, who was situated in between Ian and AK, buried her face into Ian's windbreaker a few miles down the road. Ian just looked at her.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," AK said. Ian nodded.

"I guess so," he replied.

"Hey AK, why aren't we taking the silver one?" Jerid asked, looking back in the rearview mirror. AK rolled her eyes, knowing full well he was referring to the car.

"I totaled it," she mumbled.

"You what?"

"I totaled it," she growled, loud enough for Jerid to hear. He laughed.

"Brings your tally to three," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"You think you're hot here on the ground, but once we get in the air, we're on my turf," she said. "And don't think I wouldn't think twice about shoving you out of a helicopter. Or plane for that matter," she continued, adding the last part on almost as an afterthought. Kaisa rubbed her temples.

"Can you two ever stop bickering for more than a few minutes at a time," she growled. It had taken her too long to start as it was. AK threw Jerid a half-hearted glare and leaned back. Phailin had snuggled even closer next to Ian and, he realized, fallen asleep with his arm over her shoulders. She clutched his jacket and didn't react in any way when Jerid stopped the car. Kaida got out and lifted Phailin out of the car. Phailin's tiny hands let the fabric slip between the fingers unintentionally. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and leaned against her in her sweet, undisturbed surrender. Ian got out and nearly shut the door on AK unintentionally.

"Where's our transportation?" Jerid asked. Ian nodded in agreement. If Jerid hadn't beaten him to it, he probably would've asked the same thing. Kaida cocked her head in the direction of a relatively large private plane. AK's eyes lit up.

"Yes!" she said. Ian yawned.

Kaida walked over and flashed the guard there her ID. He nodded lazily and let them walk by. AK climbed into the pilot's seat, Jerid taking the co-pilot's seat. Ian, who was getting bored, placed the luggage in the overhead racks. Kaida placed Phailin in a seat and buckled her in, still sleeping soundly. She sat down next to her daughter and Ian took the seat across from her. AK's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gents, please fasten all seat belts, make sure the overhead bins are closed tightly, and hang onto your hats. Prepare for takeoff," she said. Kaida rolled her eyes and looked at Ian as he stared out the window. There was an awkward pause for a few minutes.

"Mr. Howe, I would like to thank you," she started, her voice as emotionless as ever. He looked at her. "Phailin, since the divorce, has not much liked me having strange people in the house. You broke her out of that."

"Wasn't intentional. I'm here to fulfill my obligation and then I will leave," he said. Phailin stirred, but did not awaken and both Ian and Kaida looked at her. Kaida pushed her bangs out of her hair. She turned away from Ian and fell asleep.

* * *

_Well, thoughts? Opinions? Constructive criticism? Anything? No flames please._


	5. Chapter 4

_Ok, I know I haven't updated in forever, but that's because I haven't had anytime. I worked on this a lot just to get this next chapter up. Next chapter I'm going to write about the escapades of Riley, Ben, and Abigail. Any ideas would be appreciated. Now to my reviewers (whom hopefully I haven't scared away with my long update times)_

Soccer-Bitch: It's alright, I didn't have all that much time to write the other chapter. So I didn't expect it to be great. I'll fix it when I go back and do revisions. Thank you for your honesty.

LadyDeb1970: Yeah, he was so funny when he gave the 100 dollar bill to the kid and the kid was like "Is this real?" He's so good with kids though, which he did indeed prove in the movie. I thought the first time I saw it that he was gonna like kill the kid or something cuz he was the badguy (not that being the badguy is a bad thing) but it totally threw me off when he was really nice about it. I dunno, I just wasn't expecting it. I'm rambling, aren't I. Well, glad you liked the story.

freak and proud: Bangs? I don't really know how to describe it. It's the hair hanging down over the forehead I guess would be the best way to explain it. I just don't know any other term. And there's a typo in that sentence. It should be "Kaida pushed her bangs out of her face" instead of hair. Oh no, she'd definitely be in trouble if she totaled the Aston Martin DB9. I don't think Jerid would let her live long enough to explain, no?

Meredith A. Jones: I'm glad you liked it. Um…could you possibly elaborate on where I need to fix the repeated lines because I'm a little confused. I am more than willing to fix it. I'm glad the link thing worked for you. I did it in my bio and it worked nicely. Sometimes I forget to take out the spaces though XD.

CommodoreJewlz: Glad you liked the chapters. I really hope I'm managing to keep Ian somewhat in some semblance of his character. He doesn't say much in this chapter, but he'll say more in later chapters.

Ashti: Well, I'm glad it didn't sound like I was yelling. A lot of people get all defensive when I try to explain my side of the story. Phew, I have at least one reviewer that will continue reading. I didn't even realize that I wrote like that. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope this chapter is better about that. Phailin's kind of there for another purpose. She just kinda became attached to Ian through the little cogs in my mind working to make the other part work. She is much more attached to Jerid and AK. Besides, it is such a cute image. Yeah, I know. I spend way too much time around the little kids so I get the feeling all the time. Kaida and Ian? Maybe… Kaida and Phailin are just some names I found on a name generator website. I put in a meaning and came up with the names. Kaida's full name (Kaida Leiko Ilori) means _Little Dragon Little Flower Special Treasure_ and Phailin's full name (Phailin Enya Ilori) means _Sapphire Little Fire Special Treasure_. I must say that Kaida is probably one of my favorite characters that I've created, despite the fact she's really formal. And about your theory…I'm not telling…could be…maybe not. And now I think that I've ranted for long enough.

Elenhin: Thank you. I'm glad I have you interested. I dunno. I needed something to jazz up the strange conversations between Jerid and AK.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Kaida was awoken by a large bang and having something be hurled at her, landing squarely on top of her. She looked up to see Ian, who had been thrown from his seat by the impact of the plane against a very large and solid object. She looked at him for a moment and pushed him off, going over to Phailin, who was crying. Kaida unbuckled her and held her close, comforting her. Ian got up and looked around. Luggage was strewn about the compartment. AK burst through a small door and went into the cockpit, where Jerid was clinging to the controls for dear life. 

"JERID! I LEAVE YOU FOR TWO SECONDS AND YOU CRASH THE PLANE!" she screamed at him. He was still too shaken to fully grasp her words. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THESE THINGS COST!"

"Money is no object," Kaida said as she walked through the door, her tone emotionless. AK snapped around and Jerid slowly turned. Neither was sure whether she was being nice or if there was something else coming. "The real problem is you endangered the life of everyone on this plane and, and really this is the most important thing, if anyone had been killed, what I would do to you would have you begging for their fate," she said, her voice like ice yet the venom in her tone seared the people in the cockpit. AK cringed and Jerid was immediately shaken out of his state of shock. Kaida turned on her heel and went to the door where Ian was leaning out, trying to get their bearings. Hearing her approach, he leaned back inside.

"Not only have we crashed, but it looks like we've been blown way off course," he said. Phailin was out of the plane walking around and looking at everything. Kaida stepped out, placing a hand to her head.

"Beware the fury of a patient man," she muttered. She grabbed Phailin and balanced her on her hip, bringing her back to the plane. "Alright," she thought aloud. "Jerid, I want you to make sure nothing that must function is broken beyond repair. AK, I want you to check the equipment in the cockpit. Mr. Howe…just…I don't know. Phailin, stay here," she said, picking up the hem of her skirt and starting to walk away.

"And where are you going?" Ian asked. Kaida turned to fully face him.

"I'm going to the nearest town to get help. Is that a problem, Mr. Howe?" she asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything. She straightened to her full height.

"What's to stop you from leaving us here?" he asked. She cast him a condescending glare.

"Mr. Howe, would I really leave my daughter here if I wanted to do that?" she questioned.

"You're hard to predict," he said.

"Not when it comes to my daughter, Mr. Howe. That is one thing you can count on. I would give my life for her," she said, prodding him in the chest with a bejeweled finger.

"Regardless," he said, grabbing her wrist, "I'm coming with you to assure you don't leave us here." Kaida tried to break his iron grip, but found it was a bit harder than she expected.

"Whatever you believe is necessary," she said. Ian let go of her wrist and she continued to walk in the direction she was heading in before. Ian took some large strides and caught up with her. AK and Jerid watched from the plane as Phailin walked into the area she was in before to take a nap. AK looked at Jerid, who smiled.

"Twenty bucks says that Kaida's the only one that comes back," she said.

* * *

Kaida and Ian wandered the streets of a small village that they had reached after about an hour's worth of walking. A couple of children ceased in their activities, but only for a brief moment. Kaida found what she was looking for: a small house near the outskirts of the village on the far end of where they came in. She walked up to the door, tripping up the stairs. She hit the wood with a loud thud. She got up quickly and knocked on the door, brushing herself off as the sound of footsteps came from inside. The door opened to reveal a woman of even shorter stature than Kaida. 

"Ah, 'el-comb. Comb in," she said, her English quite indiscernible to Ian.

"Greetings, Zalika. How go things here?" Kaida asked as Zalika led them to a small sitting room where they were offered a seat.

"Bad not," she said. Ian sat on a rather large high-backed wicker chair and Kaida took a place on the small wicker loveseat. Zalika bumbled about and got them both a drink, which they both took and gratefully drank, before taking a seat in the only chair with a cushion on it, an old wicker rocking chair. She looked at Ian. "'oo es he?" she asked, motioning with a discreet head movement toward Ian.

"This is Ian," she said.

"Ah, Ee-ahn," she mimicked. Ian nodded, not quite sure how to react to the situation. He took another drink from the glass, draining it.

"Zalika, I'm afraid I must get straight to the point. Can we borrow the old truck?" she asked, taking another sip of water. Zalika thought for a moment.

"Oh, zey ol' mee-lee-tahr-ee truck? Of course, yes, yes. Zalika 'as no oose for it," she said. She got up and tottered around in the kitchen for a moment before she brought back the keys for the truck. "You ot'er friends waiting for you?" Kaida nodded regretfully.

"Sorry Zalika, we can talk more when I return the truck," she said. Zalika nodded.

"Of course, now, you no keep you friends waiting," she said, ushering Kaida and Ian to the door.

"Thanks for the truck," Ian said before going out the door.

"Yes Zalika, I owe you one," Kaida smiled. The door shut behind them and Kaida led Ian to a shed on the far side of the property. She unlocked the doors, but the doors wouldn't give way as the hinges were so old and weatherworn that they groaned in protest. Ian walked over to help and they got the door open. Inside the shed, a few loose pieces of dirt fell loose. A couple of cobwebs shuddered with the sudden swinging of the door. Dusty light filtered into the shed and the smell of old hay lingered in the air. The vehicle looked ancient, but usable, at least to Ian. It was one of those ones that was probably used to carry troops to battle. Kaida rolled her eyes and walked in, stirring dust into little clouds with the hem of her skirt. She pulled the door open and a blast of stale air hit her dead on. She paused for a moment, but it didn't bother her for too long. She fumbled about for the towel that she knew was there. She crawled into the cab and began wiping the dust off the seats and windows before crawling out and going to the back, where she noticed Ian climbing in. She shot him a questioning glance. He knelt down near the back and picked up a scrap piece of paper. On it was written just one word.

_ANUBIS_

Frustrated with Ian, Kaida threw the towel at him, which hit him on the back. He turned to face her.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Anubis."

* * *

_Hope you liked it enough to keep it interesting. _

_ERH_


	6. Chapter 5

_So soon after my other update, I'm proud of myself. Hope you all enjoy, now to…_

Soccer-Bitch: Thanks, glad you like and I hope you like this one as much as you liked the others.

freak and proud: Yeah, Anubis was an Egyptian god of Embalming who was the one that led the others into the afterlife and, besides Osiris, presided over the weighing of the heart ceremony. Yeah, I love Ancient Egyptian History. XD To tell you the truth, Zalika is a bit insane. She has some issues. All of what she said will be explained at the bottom of this chapter. She was so fun, I had to bring her back one more time. And don't worry, as soon as homework allows for fun-time, I will definitely read your fanfic.

LadyDeb1970: Glad I am not the only person who thinks Ian deserves even the tiniest amount of pity. True, I really liked Shaw, I can't believe they killed him off. That made me sad, probably near the amount of sadness Ian felt, considering I felt bad for the both of them. I'm glad you liked and I'm equally as glad that you were not scared away from the story.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" 

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we—"

"Riley!" Abigail warned.

"You've been asking that question for the past hour every five seconds. Shut up," Ben said. Ben was getting annoyed with Riley's incessant childish antics. There was a minute or two of just the music from the Jeep radio filtering through the air.

"Are we there yet?" Ben slammed on the brakes, nearly sending Riley through the front of the Jeep.

"Finally!" Ben said. He got out, slamming the door. They were parked in front of a small house on the outskirts of the village which they had entered. Abigail stepped out and Riley struggled out, falling face first in the sand.

"Stop fooling around, Riley. This is important," Abigail said. Riley stood up and brushed himself off, mimicking Abigail as he shut the door. Ben went up and knocked on the door, coming back and putting his arm around Abigail. The door opened to reveal a woman who stood no taller than Ben's chest.

"Ah, Ben. I 'as especing you," she said, coming up and giving him a hug. Ben smiled.

"Nice to see you again, Zalika," he said, doing his best to return the hug with just one arm. She let go and Ben motioned to Abigail and Riley. "This is my wife Abigail and this is Riley, a very good friend of mine."

"Ver' good. Comb in, comb in," she said, grabbing Riley, who was the unfortunate one who was in her reach, and pulled him inside. Ben and Abigail walked in after them. Ben looked at Zalika as she bumbled about, getting them drinks. Riley took a seat on the high-backed wicker chair as Abigail claimed a seat on the loveseat.

"You said you were expecting us?" Ben said as Abigail pulled him into the seat next to her.

"Yes, yes. You jus' miss Kaida. She been here no one hour 'go," she said. Riley looked at Ben, who was a bit surprised.

"Kaida?"

"Did you see which way she went?"

"Was she walking?"

"You said an hour ago?"

"One queson at a time! No, I did no see which way she went but she should no be too hard to follow. She took zey ol' mee-lee-tahr-ee truck from the shed. Yes, she left on'y about one hour ago. Why you ask? You is no after traysoore too?"

"Actually, yes," Ben said. "How'd you know?"

"Zalika knows t'ese t'ings. She may no speak good English, but she has info'maton. I know t'ere 'as clue in back of zey mee-lee-tahr-ee truck. Small scrap of paper. On'y one word on it," she said.

"What was it?" Abigail asked.

"Som't'ing t'at start with A," she said.

"'A' what?" Riley asked.

"Not 'A' anything," Ben said.

"That wasn't good grammar," Riley said.

"Eet 'as some name with seegneefeecance," she said.

"Akenhaton?" Ben asked.

"Som't'ing shorter," Zalika said.

"Aton?" Abigail supplied.

"No…"

"Ammut?" Riley inquired. Zalika shook her head. There was a long pause, then suddenly Ben had a revelation.

"Anubis?" he asked.

"T'at's it. T'ats what was on dee scrap of paper," she said.

"Well thank you, Zalika," Ben said, rising to go.

"Day playsoor es all mine," she said, smiling at them as they left.

* * *

Ian was standing out in the sun in his black tank top with a green-gray toolbox at his feet and a wrench in his hand trying to figure out exactly why the vehicle had stopped working. Kaida was pacing back and forth restlessly, swearing at anything and everything. If it had been any other situation, he would have laughed at Kaida's frustration. He smiled as he leaned under the hood. He had to keep from laughing somehow. 

"Well, what's wrong with the d—mn thing?" she asked.

"I haven't quite figured that out," came Ian's muffled reply. She sighed in exasperation.

"I'm going back to camp," she said, going over to the driver's side of the vehicle and reaching through the window, grabbing the keys. "And I'm bringing these with me to assure that you don't walk out on us."

"Couldn't I do that without the keys?" he muttered.Kaidarolled her eyes andbegan walking toward the place where the plane had crashed. After she had faded from Ian's line of vision, he sighed and reached into his pocket, grabbing the sheet of paper he had found in the truck. _ANUBIS_ stared hauntingly up at him.

_Anubis, that was some Egyptian god, right?_ He thought to himself as he fumbled around underneath the hood. He wasn't accustomed to these things. Everyone on his team had their own jobs. He was the criminal mastermind, Shaw was the weapons specialist and sharpshooter, then there was Phil with demolitions, Victor Shippen with his skills at driving, and Powell, who served as the mechanic. The hum of an engine approaching in the distance made Ian move to look, smacking his head on the hood of the vehicle.

"Bloody Hell!" he hissed, grasping the back of his head. He muttered a few otherchoice words and phrases as he looked up. A car was approaching, stopping about a hundred yards from where he stood. He rubbed his hands on the towel that Kaida had used to get rid of all the dust as he watched three people exit the vehicle. Figuring they were of no importance, he tucked the towel into his pocket and went back to looking under the hood. After about five minutes, he heard footsteps crunching the ground as someone approached.

"Excuse me," someone called. The hood skewed Ian's hearing, but he could have sworn the voice was vaguely familiar. They stopped so close to Ian that he could see their shoes and the shadows cast on the ground.

"Hey," another one said, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, making sure he was safely out of range of being hit by the hood, and straightened up. A look of shock replaced the look of annoyance on his face. The frustrated looks on the other three faces changed into a mixture of shock and intimidation, for standing in a semicircle around Ian were Riley, Abigail, and Ben.

"Ben," Ian stated, changing his tense position to one of nonchalance as he leaned against the car and changing his expression to one of absolute stoicism. He took the towel from his pocket and wiped his hands on it again, smearing some of the oil on his hand, not that he cared.

"Ian?" Abigail asked.

"Abigail," Ben warned.

"Riley," Riley interjected. All faces turned toward him. He shrugged. "I was feeling left out." Ben shook his head.

"What are you doing here?" Ian asked, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

"I might ask you the same question," Riley asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm fixing a car," he said. Riley leaned over the hood.

"Not doing a very good job," he muttered.

"Think you can do better?" Ian mumbled.

"Actually, yes," Riley said, straightening up again.

"Then, please, do demonstrate," Ian said. Riley paused for a moment, as if debating whether or not to accept the challenge. He relented and took the wrench from Ian, grabbing the toolbox and working on the engine. Ian turned to Ben and Abigail. "So…what brings you to Egypt?" he asked.

"Treasure hunting," Ben said. Ian laughed.

"Not unlike you," he said.

"And yourself?" Abigail questioned.

"Kaida," Ian said. Ben raised an eyebrow questioningly. "She bailed me out of jail. I'm here because I owe her for getting me out of there."

"I see," Ben said.

"So far the only thing we found was a slip of paper with—"

"Anubis written on it," Ben finished. Ian raised an eyebrow.

"The crazy lady told us," Riley supplied after a few moments of silence. Ian laughed.

"So, you're following us?" Ian asked.

"Well, sort of," Abigail said.

"Done!" Riley said, grabbing the towel from Ian's hands and wiping his own with it. "Now, where are the keys?"

"Kaida took 'em," Ian said, adjusting his sunglasses and folding his arms over his chest. "As much as I enjoyed this little chat, you are starting to annoy me. And for future reference, this meeting never happened. You and I are rivals now," he said, pushing past Ben and picking up the toolbox and taking the wrench and towel from Riley. He walked around to the back of the truck and climbed in to put the tools away and get out of the sun, leaning against the canvas top, which stretched beneath his weight. He saw Abigail and Riley leaving, but did not see Ben with them.

"Ian?" Ben asked, coming around from the truck. Ian looked in his direction. "Do you really want to do this?" Ian looked at him, pulling a small sheet of paper from his pocket. He gave it to Ben.

"Go," Ian said. Ben was a little hurt by being closed out like that, but curious as to what was on the paper. He turned from Ian and walked away, leaving his footprints in the dust. After about twenty minutes, Kaida returned.

"Anything exciting happen while I was gone?" she asked, looking into the back. Ian smirked.

"Other than me fixing the truck?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"We'll see, Mr. Howe," she said, taking the keys from her pocket and tossing them to Ian. He caught them deftly with one hand and he got out of the back, moving over to the driver's side of the vehicle. He turned the key and the vehicle roared to life. Kaida smiled and Ian quickly made a mental note to thank Riley when he next saw him. The roar of the archaic truck's engine faded as they left the scene where only a few sets of faded footprints were mercilessly erased from the dust by the vicious wind.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as a helpful tool, here are a list of Zalika-isms._

**Chapter 4 Zalika Notes (In the Order in Which They Appear) **

1) Welcome, come in.

2) Oh, not bad. Who is he?

3) Ah, Ian.

4) Oh, the old military truck? Of course, I have no use for it. Your other friends are waiting for you?

5) Of course, now don't you keep your friends waiting.

**Chapter 5 Zalika Notes (In the Order in Which They Appear)**

1) Oh, Ben, I was expecting you.

2) Very good. Come in, come in.

3) Yes, you just missed Kaida. She left here about an hour ago.

4) One question at a time. No, I did not see which way she went, but she shouldn't be too hard to follow. She took the old military truck from the shed. Yes, she only left about one hour ago. Why do you ask? You aren't looking for the treasure too, are you?"

5) I know these things. I might not speak good English, but she has got some information. I know there was a clue in the back of the military truck. It was on a small scrap of paper. There was only one word on it.

6) Something that started with 'A'.

7) It was a name with significance.

8) Something shorter.

9) No…

10) That's it. That's what was written on the scrap of paper.

11) The pleasure was all mine.

_Please feel free to drop me a line. No flames please. Kind reviews and constructive criticism openly welcomed. The more reviews I get, the quicker I update (hint hint, wink wink). _


	7. Chapter 6

_Okay, there is a reason for the really long wait for this chapter. I am sorry to say that I am unable to give you a better excuse than I had massive writers block and was incredibly lazy. I got sick, does that count? And I had some unexpected company, which got me writing again. I would like to say that this chapter may never have happened if it weren't for the advice of a very, very good friend. So thank you for that! This is really short, but the next chapter is in the works already. This one I wrote from scratch from last night. Now to…_

freak and proud: LOL, I saw it like four or five times in theaters. I loved it. There's nothing wrong with reading things over again (just so long as the reason you read it again wasn't that I didn't write clearly. Then I have an issue that I have to fix LOL). No problem for the notes. Sorry for the long update.

LadyDeb1970: I finally updated! WOOT WOOT! Yeah, that was Powell. I figured that Ben was the kinda person who would at least attempt to figure out what was wrong, but when he got closed out…yeah. I found it funny after I read it again too. Yeah, but isn't he always? Mmm…(_pictures black tank top_) that was as much for me as for anyone else. LOL

Yellow 13: Yeah, I know Shaw is dead. I prolly should have written that sentence differently. Something like "…and Shaw used to be the…" instead of "Shaw was…", though both do indicate the past. LOL. Hope you like it.

Gina: Glad you like it. Hope you like this chapter.

lazaefair: LOL, what can I say, massive writers block, laziness, being sick, and not watching the movie all lead to me not updating. I feel bad though. I didn't think that many people liked this story. Anywho, I'm updating now. Yeah, I didn't realized I used that many clichés, but c'est la vie. I'll try not to use so many. Thank you. I was so worried that I was not keeping the characters in character. I love writing Ian's dialogue. Riley's a little bit harder for me, but glad you think I'm keeping him in character. Hope you enjoy this chapter and hope I didn't scare you off.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Ben, Abigail, and Riley sat in a small café in an attempt to escape the heat and figure out what to do next. Ben's mind was on the piece of paper Ian had give him as Abigail and Riley argued about what should be done. 

"Well," Riley began, "I personally think our best bet is to work on the 'Anubis' clue at the library."

"Riley, we don't have that kind of time," Abigail said hurriedly. "Ian and his crew are already ahead of us." Ben took the paper from his pocket and it appeared to be blank. He flipped it over, sighing deeply, being greeted with the blank face of the paper. So Ian had given him a useless piece of paper? That was stupid. He set it down next to a candle and squeezed some lemon into his drink. Droplets from the lemon landed all over the table, including on the paper. Ben thought nothing of it and wiped off the table. They continued debating for awhile as Riley ate the sandwich he had ordered. He stared at the candle for a moment, then noticed something about the paper.

"Uh, Ben?" Riley asked, his mouth full of the sandwich. Ben looked at him. "I think there's something on that sheet of paper." Everyone looked to see miniscule lines of writing where the lemon juice had splattered onto the paper. Abigail took the lemon from her drink and squeezed a little bit onto the paper. Slowly, a word came into view.

_C U L T_. Ben thought for a moment and got up. He laid the money for lunch on the table and walked out, going to the car. Abigail followed him. Riley looked from them to his lunch.

"What about my sandwich?"

* * *

The small diner was nearly empty with only three tables filled. One had a couple with graying hair and another had a couple of students leaning over their books in preparation for their exams. The other held a group of five. They were Ian, Kaida, Phailin, Jerid, and AK. They were all taking a short break from trying to figure out the clue. Kaida rubbed her temples as Phailin sat on Jerid's lap. AK took to drinking the soda in front of her and Ian was just sitting there, staring at the video playing on the screen. He was close enough to the television to hear it, however quiet it was. 

"_Tracy McTranson here at the temple of Anubis in Heliopolis_," came the reporter's monotonous voice. Ian's attention shifted fully to the screen at the mention of Anubis. "_The people here are getting ready to celebrate the flooding of the Nile as was done in Ancient Egypt. This festival was very important to the farmers especially. Heliopolis, a city located northeast of Cairo, is an area rich with history. The Ennead of Heliopolis contained the Ancient Creator God, also known as the primordial waters. This is why the celebration will be held here instead of its normal place. Back to you Trish_." Ian smiled. He had just figured it out. That's where they had to go. Phailin noticed this smile on his face and looked at him quizzically.

"Mr. Howe, why are you so happy?" she asked.

"No reason," he said, grabbing the coffee in front of him and moving it to his lips. "Nothing at all." He took a sip and put it back down, stirring the coffee. The spoon clinked against the side of the mug rhythmically as he stared into the brown liquid. AK put a hand to her forehead.

"Why do you always have to do that!" she demanded after a brief but tense pause where the only sound was the white noise from the television and the clinking of the spoon on the mug. Ian looked up. AK looked like she was about to launch herself across the table at him. Kaida placed a hand on her arm.

"Temper, temper," she said, coaxing her into a non-hostile position. "I think it would be best if we just take the day off. Let's head back to the hotel and rest up a bit today. Tomorrow, we'll begin our search anew," she said, looking at Ian. He pulled the spoon out of the coffee and tapped it on the side of his mug. He took a sip and shrugged.

"As if that will do us any good," Jerid said, obviously still in a bad mood from the plane crash. "What we need is a vehicle."

"That can all be arranged. After all the years of working with me you still underestimate me," Kaida said, eyes glinting playfully. "Now, to the hotel."

* * *

Ian had takento reclining (and at one point napping) on one of the beds in the small hotel room. The girls, of course, had gotten the same suite across the hall. He watched as Jerid clicked away on his laptop, clearly instant messaging someone. Ian sighed. It was just like the last couple of weeks. He got up and changed into something that wasn't sweaty before he started out the door. It was getting to a point near sunset. 

"Where you going?" Jerid asked, eyes never leaving the laptop.

"To get some fresh air," Ian said. He got about halfway down the hall before he heard the click of a door and he half-turned to see who it was. He had been at a little unease since he had seen Ben, but the two that came out of the room were AK and Phailin. He did his best to make himself blend into the wall as he looked at a picture, which worked relatively well. Phailin trotted by, squealing excitedly about ice cream and was followed by AK, who glanced briefly at him (as he saw in the reflection) before moving on. He waited until they had both gone before he started towards the elevator. He reached forward to press the button, but paused for a moment. He sighed and went back down the hall. He stopped at the faded door bearing the number 345. He rapped quietly on the door. There was the sound of footsteps and then the door opened. Kaida stood there, a hairbrush in one hand and her hair hung down around her shoulders. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top. He stared at her for a moment. If she was anyone else, he would've said she was pretty.

"Yes, Mr. Howe?" she asked, continuing to brush her hair. Ian shook his head.

"I'm going for a walk," he said, "and I need to tell you something. Come with me." It wasn't a request, it was a command. Kaida straightened up and was about to tell him what he could do, but she softened and sighed.

"Alright." She grabbed a pad of paper from the desk and wrote a quick note for AK and Phailin. She then turned to Ian as she grabbed a denim jacket. "Let's go." They got about halfway down the hall. "You said you had something to tell me?"

"Hm? Oh, yes I wanted to tell you about when we were at the diner earlier," he said.

"Go on."

"There was a news broadcast about a festival or something being held at the Temple of Anubis," he said. She smiled.

"Where's that?"

"Heliopolis," he said. She looked like a child opening a present on their birthday. They got to the elevators without incident. When the doors opened they revealed AK, whose look went from unnatural calm to absolute horror in less time then it took for the Kaida and Ian to identify her.

"What's wrong?" Kaida asked.

* * *

Well, hope that you enjoyed and be looking for an update soon (I hope). Tell me what you think (other than it was really short). Please review, but no flames please. Constructive criticism welcomed. 


	8. Chapter 7

_I am back from enjoying a well-deserved (at least in my opinion) vacation. It inspired me to write some more, so I think my muses have rejoined me. (huggles Ian plushie). Sorry this chappie is so short. I hope the next one will be longer. I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible, so to:_

Elenhin: Its alright, I don't mind. It does indeed take some skill to crash a plane. What exactly would he run into? LOL Thank you. That is my theory all the way. Not to mention he's way too attractive to be all bad. Hope I can get the next one up just as soon.

lazaefair: I wouldn't want to do something like that (_puts all thoughts of updating in four months out of mind_). Thank you very much. Glad you think so. I'm so glad that you think that they are in character. Riley especially. I always have problems writing people like him for some reason.

freak and proud: I'm not mean…I'm pure evil! MWA HA HA! Well um (_clears throat_) LOL. I know, that really, really sux. I liked the good old days better when you just assumed that they didn't read it, LOL. Yeah, that chapter was like eating at me and I couldn't finish it, but now I have this one done and the next one in the works. Dude! You're living in New Zealand? That's awesome! That's like one of the coolest places! (_is jealous_)

_And now on with the chappie._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Kaida looked around the elevator. "Where's Phailin?" she asked. AK looked for an escape route as Kaida closed in on her. "Alexia, where is my daughter?" she demanded. 

"I…I…" she started.

"I…I…I'm waiting for an answer," Kaida snapped, eyes flashing.

"WewereonourwaytotheicecreamstoreandshewasrightbehindmetheentiretimeandwhenwegottothebuildingIsawthatshewasn'tbehindmesoIwentoutsidetolookandwhenshewasn'tthereIcameintofindJeridsohecouldhelpmelookforher," she said, all in one breath. Kaida stared at her for a second.

"You're telling me that you _lost_ my _daughter_!" she bellowed. AK nodded meekly. Just then, Jerid opened up the door and sauntered down the hall.

"Hey guys, where's the party?" he asked jokingly. Kaida's glare silenced that in its tracks. He cleared his throat. "I'm going out for some fresh air. Ian, come with me," he said, walking past Kaida and Ian to the stairwell. Ian eyed Kaida warily and then walked over to the stairwell. AK moved from the elevator to the landing when Kaida's attention was focused on Jerid. She had gotten about halfway down the hall when Kaida turned on her again.

"Where do you think you are going?" she demanded.

"I…" she started.

"You're going to help me find my daughter," she said angrily. The rest of the conversation was lost to Ian as they got far enough down the stairs. Jerid brushed the hair out of his face.

"Hey Ian," he started. Ian made a soft noise of recognition. "What got you into treasure hunting in the first place?" he asked. Ian sighed.

"I was approached by a certain treasure hunter and the idea was just so appealing at the time. It was a chance to get out of the blue-collared prison I had built for myself," he said. Jerid nodded.

"I know the feeling," he said. He looked up at the sound of tires slowing to a crawl. Jerid looked over his shoulder and placed a hand on his gun before turning fully. He held the gun ready, but not aimed. As the car stopped, out stepped Phailin. She looked around and found Jerid. She leaned her head back in the car and said thank you, before shutting the door. The car drove away and Phailin skipped toward Jerid. He holstered his gun and leaned down to pick her up, but she skipped right past him and attached herself to Ian. He was a bit shocked to find her attached to him, but he knelt down nonetheless to check on her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir," she said. Ian ruffled her hair, making her smile. He gave her a once over. She didn't

"Who was in the car?" Jerid asked.

"A lady," she said. "She had blond hair like yours." Ian subconsciously ran a hand through his hair. She opened her hand to reveal a crumpled up piece of paper. "She told me to give this to you. Said you'd know what it was." Ian carefully took the piece of paper from her tiny hand and opened it up. Both sides were blank, but a small piece of paper fell from within the folds. He picked it up off the concrete, opening that too. Tiny, messy handwriting was scrawled on the inside.

_Thanks Ian. See you there._

No signature, no anything, but Ian knew exactly what was going on. Kaida stormed out of the front doors a frightened AK trailing behind her. Kaida's eyes fell on her daughter and she rushed forward, scooping her up and balancing her on her hip.

"Baby, are you alright?" she asked, smoothing Phailin's hair.

"I'm fine," she said, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. AK sighed with relief and walked over to Jerid, who put an arm over her shoulder. He walked her into the hotel and disappeared from view as Kaida fussed over Phailin. She turned and went back into the hotel, leaving Ian alone. Ian sighed, frustrated. He picked up a large stone and hurled it at a trashcan, causing a loud clanging noise to resound throughout the alleyway before he left it as barren as he had found it.

* * *

The door on the other side of the room opened, causing the two members in the room to look up. Abigail walked over and closed the door behind her, muttering under her breath. 

"Did you get the note to Ian?" Riley asked enthusiastically.

"Did you get her there safely?" Ben asked, sipping a soda.

"Yes, I'm sure Ian has the note and, yes, the girl is there," Abigail said, sitting down next to the two men. "Now, what's the plan?" she asked.

"I've rented a car that we are driving there tomorrow morning," Ben said, sighing slightly.

"You sound thrilled," Riley said. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and took them out of the box. He tapped them on the table twice on each side and began to shuffle them.

"Oh, absolutely," Ben said, his voice showing traces of sleeplessness and worry. Riley let it go.

"Who wants a game of poker?" he asked. Abigail sighed.

"Too tired," she said, getting up and going into the bedroom of their suite they had rented.

"Ben?"

"No, I have something I have to do before we leave tomorrow," he said, getting up and heading out the door. Riley sighed.

"Solitaire it is."

* * *

_Love it? Hate it? Lemme know what you think. Constructive criticism and kind reviews welcome, no flames plz. Flames burn the paper (which is made from trees). SAVE THE TREES! LOL_


	9. Chapter 8

_Sorry I haven't updated. And I'm sorry the chapter is so short. I haven't been able to write a whole lot since the beginning of the month._ _But I have the next chapter started and I hope to have it up before September. THEY WILL REACH THE CLUE MWA HA HA. Now to:_

freak and proud: LOL, I guess that makes it even then. XD Lucky. (_gives Ian plushie/Beanie baby to loyal reviewer who asked for one_) Its so funny because that's the joke with me and my friends too. Thanks. He did have some good lines. Me and my friends laughed so hard when he's like "Lousy one percent" we were probably the ones laughing the hardest in the theater.

Elenhin: I know. They're not very nice to Ian. (_looks to Abigail, Ben, and Riley_) That's not very nice. LOL He is. Its really sweet. She's not just randomly thrown in there though. She's got a big part later on, but you'll have to wait for that. I love Ian, and I hated writing them taunting him, but Kaida started it, then Ian gave them what he thought was a false clue so he does kinda deserve it, but there's payback MWA HA HA! Hmmm…there are multiple references to Ben and Ian playing poker in the movie, but that's not where I got it from. I had just watched a poker tournament with my family and figured it would be an interesting thing to toss in there, also to give Riley a one-liner to relieve tension. XD Well, some people have that knack for crashing into the one thing that is in the middle of an empty space LOL (_looks around innocently_) No, I'm not like that. I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you like this one.

lazaefair: Awww…thank you. I'm glad you think so. The smoke will be explained in the next chapter. LOL. Yes, Riley has to have the last word. For comic relief's sake.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Ben had come in late from getting the provisions they would need for the next part of their journey. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was just about ready to collapse, but he began to pile it into the car so they could leave first thing the next morning. He put the drinks in the refrigerator so they would be cold then he sat down on the edge of the bed. He was dead tired, but couldn't sleep. He had a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something bad was going to happen, he knew it. He got up and walked over to the window, staring at the dim stars. There wasn't too long until dawn, four hours he supposed at most. Riley would object, but he wanted to leave as early as possible. 

Suddenly, his cell started vibrating in his pocket. He jumped before he registered exactly what it was. He took it off the clip and looked at it. **TXT MSG** flashed across the screen. He opened it, not knowing what this was about.

_UR ON_ was all that was printed on the message itself. The person it was sent from chose the screenname 'anonymous' to avoid detection, but even without the return mail, he knew exactly who it was. It was Ian and the race was on.

* * *

Ian, Kaida, Jerid, AK, and Phailin walked to the airstrip and found their hired pilot. He greeted them warmly and led them to the plane. Kaida whispered some instructions to him and he nodded. They all went into the spacious cabin area. The pilot began the flight without a word and soon they were in the air. Phailin was looking out the windows excitedly and AK was asleep, leaning against Jerid, who was reading a rather thick book. Kaida sat regally in her chair with a notebook in her hand. She wore a pair of thin wire-framed glasses that made her look scholarly, for lack of better word. Ian sat across from her and watched patiently as she tapped the pen against the paper. She seemed to be thinking of something. She fiddled with the coin around her neck as she thought. Then she began scratching out some words. _Ma'at. Ammut. Anubis. Osiris. Set. Isis. Horus. _She looked up, feeling Ian's stare. 

"Is there something you need, Mr. Howe," she asked, looking over the top of her glasses at him. He shrugged.

"Not really, just curious as to what you are doing," he said. She looked back down at her work.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Mr. Howe," she said, scratching out some more words on the paper. _Sekhmet. Selket. Hathor. Knut. Khnum. Ra._ She paused here again, sighing and looking up. "If you must know, I'm making a list of what we know about the Egyptian pantheon, seeing as this treasure seems largely based on their mythology." Ian nodded.

"Good idea," he said. "I don't know if I'd be much help, but I can try," he continued. Kaida shrugged.

"Alright," she said, nodding. She ran a finger down the list. "This is a good start." She scratched out the word _Truth_ next to Ma'at and next to that she wrote _feather_. Next to Ammut she wrote _devourer_ and _weighing of the heart_. Next to Anubis, she wrote_ embalming, walk to Osiris, weighing of the heart_. Next to Osiris, she wrote _Underworld, book of the dead, Nile_. She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "What do you know about Set?" she asked, looking up from her notebook. Ian thought back to the history classes he had never really paid any attention to.

"Wasn't he the one that chopped Osi-something up and threw him into the Nile?" Ian said.

"Ah, yes," Kaida said, writing _chaos_ next to his name. This went on for quite awhile and ended only when they landed in Cairo.

As they stepped off the plane, Kaida hissed a set of instructions into Jerid's ear. He nodded and grabbed Phailin, herding Ian and AK toward a cafe on the side of the road a little ways away from where the airstrip was. Kaida walked the other way, trying to find a car rental place.

* * *

After awhile, Kaida had made it to a small car rental place with only a few cars sitting in the lot. She strode over to the counter where a dark man was reading a paper, he looked up at her and grinned. 

"How may I help you?" he asked.

"I am looking for a vehicle which I can take for an undetermined amount of time," she said, shading her face with a hand. It was bright out in Egypt. The man got up and moved from his seat, leading her over to the three cars. The first was a large SUV type vehicle, the second a sports car of sorts, and the third a jeep. Kaida looked them over appraisingly and found the SUV to her liking. "I'll take that one," she said. The man nodded.

"If you'll just put down a deposit," the man said. She took a checkbook from her pocketbook and wrote a check to the rental shop. With that she drove away, catching a glimpse of a pillar of smoke in the distance.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed. Now let me know what you think. No flames plz._


	10. Chapter 9

_Sorry, this chapter jumps a lot. Also, a more formal apology is located at the bottom of the chapter. _

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The smoke billowed from beneath the hood of the car as Ben and Riley tried to figure out what was wrong with it. Abigail, nervous that the car was going to explode, had stepped out and was pacing behind them. Riley let out a whoop of triumph as the smoke coming from the engine began to dissipate. 

"So it's fixed?" Abigail asked hopefully.

"Er…" Riley said, glancing at the car. "No…smoke's not coming out of the engine anymore." Abigail sighed.

"And that is going to help us how?" Abigail asked, frustrated. Riley stared at her for a moment.

"I'm working on it!" Riley said. "Rome wasn't built in a day you know!" Abigail rolled her eyes and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Ben asked, concerned. Abigail stopped, but didn't turn around.

"To get a car so we can get to the festival before Ian and his crew," she said. Ben nodded.

"Alright, just be careful," he said. She put a hand up to acknowledge that she heard him and she continued walking.

* * *

After walking for about ten or fifteen minutes, Abigail came across a small rental place. She walked up to the building and waited for the girl to notice her. She did after a few moments. The girl blew a large pink bubble, which popped. 

"Can I help you?" she asked, obviously bored. Abigail sighed.

"Do you have any cars that are available?" she asked. The girl nodded and pulled a set of keys from the wall.

"Lucky you. You got the last one, a 2005 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT," she said, just like she had been told to do. Abigail rolled her eyes and got in the car, pulling away from the rental shack and going back to the others.

* * *

Abigail had left the driving to Riley and she had taken to reclining in the back. Ben was seated next to Riley and giving directions every now and then. He had been rather quiet and Abigail had the sneaking suspicion that he had fallen asleep. She wasn't sure she could blame him. He had been up for hours on end preparing for this trip. Riley was humming some tune and the dunes seemed to roll on endlessly. She was about to fall asleep when Riley spoke. 

"Um…Abigail?" he asked.

"Yes?" she said, tired.

"Umm…there's a car a little ways ahead of us," he noted. Abigail immediately righted herself and looked out the windshield. Sure enough, there was a silver SUV, her guess would be an Expedition. She shrugged.

"Probably just someone going to the festeival," she said. "But speed up. I want to get there soon. I don't feel like we're making good time." Riley did as she asked and sped up, catching the silver Expedition with ease. As they passed the car, Abigail looked at the driver and gasped. It was Ian. "Riley!" she said. Riley looked over and his eyes met with Ian's. There was a moment that seemed to last forever where the two of them looked at each other before Riley gave a wave and sped up, overtaking the SUV.

* * *

"You're joking!" Ian snapped, running a hand through his hand and flooring the gas. Kaida held onto the dashboard. 

"What are you doing!" she asked. Phailin was clinging to AK and Jerid was just waking up due to the sudden momentum.

"Yeah," he yawned. "What's the rush?"

"Ben Gates," he said shortly. Kaida swore for the second time that Ian had ever heard her do that. She seemed like the kind of person who could keep her temper. Then again, she was full of surprises. Ian dwelled only for a brief moment on this subject before his mind returned to the Infiniti that had raced ahead. They were ahead by quite a bit. He was inching closer by pushing the car to its limits. Suddenly, the Infiniti slowed down and came to a stop. Ian, when he got close enough saw why. He screeched to a halt and paid the admission man, who gave him a strange look. Ian drove away without a second glance at the man. He could see the Infiniti just a little ways ahead of him. He accelerated and got up behind Riley.

* * *

Riley looked in his rearview mirror and groaned. Ben had long since woken up and was alert. He was ready for anything Ian was about to pull. 

"Holy Lord," he said. Abigail ducked in the seat. She didn't want to be hit by any bullets. After all, that was how Ian usually handled these types of situations. Riley pulled into the parking lot and Ian turned the other way. Riley looked at Ben confusedly. Riley pulled into a spot and they got out. That was when they saw Ian and the man that he had been walking that night Abigail dropped the little girl off. Riley glanced at Ben and shook his head.

"No way," he said. "We are not splitting up!" Before the words had even left his mouth, Ben and Abigail were walking hurriedly away from him. Riley made a face and started walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

Ian and Jerid looked around. Ian spotted Riley. 

"Jerid!" he said. Jerid looked up and saw the scrawny man.

"I'm on it," he said. He jogged towards Riley. Jerid made another sweep of the parking lot with his blue eyes and spotted Abigail and Ben. He jogged towards them, careful to stay out of their line of sight. He got about ten feet from them and was walking cautiously. They had slowed to a comfortable pace, sure they had lost them. He had let them see him so they could run and he could cunningly get to them later. They walked through the arch which led into the festival. Ian followed them for a little bit until Abigail looked over her shoulder and caught sight of him.

"Ben!" she said, jerking around. Ben looked over his shoulder and saw Ian as well.

"Let's split up. He can't get both of us," he said. With that, Abigail ran in one direction and Ben ran in another. Abigail thought she distinctly heard Ian curse. She didn't bother to look back to see who he chose. She kept running, looking over her shoulder every once in awhile. She saw Ian shoving people out of his way and he was fast catching up. She ran faster (surprised at how far adrenaline can get a person) and seemed to lose him. She ducked into a side alley and stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

* * *

Jerid had caught up with Riley and latched onto his arm. Riley twisted and turned in an escape attempt. He jerked his arm out of his hold and swung at Jerid hoping to deter him from following him while he escaped. He hit him smack dab in the eye and Jerid brought a hand up to his face momentarily. Riley took this as his chance to escape. He quickly lost himself in the crowd. Jerid growled and pulled out his cell phone. 

"Kaida, the scrawny one's gone."

* * *

Abigail let her heart rate slow down fora moment. She moved to walk out but ran into someone. 

"Fancy bumping into you," he said. Abigail would know that voice anywhere. Before she thought of anything else, she instinctively lashed out and punched him in the stomach…_hard_.Ian hunched over, grabbing his stomach as Abigail ran.

"Smart girl," he said, a grin crossing his face.

* * *

Kaida waited impatiently as AK helped Jerid to take care of his black eye. Ian leaned against a wall opposite her. 

"So," he said. "Where to next?"

"Where else?" Kaida asked. "To the tomb."

* * *

_OMG, I'm really sorry. After a long while of being dead to FF, I have come back. Just in time for Halloween too LOL. I just abandoned writing for a while for lack of inspiration. But I'm back now. I know I haven't written anything in forever. I'm soooooooooooo sorry._ _So please review. I'm sorry I kept you all waiting, but the next chapter should be soon._


	11. Chapter 10

_Sorry about the long update. Yeah. Things have been a bit hectic. I hope you enjoy this really, really short chapter and the next one is on the way soon._

**

* * *

Chapter 10

* * *

**Kaida followed directly behind Jerid, who held a flickering torch up as they wandered the halls of the tomb. Every so often, Phailin's tiny figure would drift in and out of the torchlight. Kaida glanced around, as if she already knew what she was looking for. Ian and AK took up the rear, following closely in their footsteps. 

At last, the corridor they were walking down widened and went into a chamber where there lay a sarcophagus. Kaida's eyes twinkled with delight and she walked over, running her fingers over the hieroglyphics. Jerid began inspecting the walls after lighting a second torch to allow Ian to explore. He walked over to Kaida to shed some light on the shaded sarcophagus. She looked at him briefly before she began sketching the hieroglyphics in her notebook. She sat there for a long while as Ian knelt down next to her, inspecting what she had written. He looked back and forth at the sarcophagus and the sheet before he placed a finger on one of her drawings.

"This one's not the same," he said to her. She glared at him.

"Mr. Howe, I should know what I am doing. I used to study art in college," she said. Ian shook his head.

"Look." He pointed at the hieroglyph on the sarcophagus and brushed away some dust, revealing the rest of the picture. Sure enough, it wasn't the same. She gave him an indignant look and fixed it, moving on without another word. While she wrote, Ian interrupted her countless times to tell her that she had drawn something differently. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost. Eventually, they got to the bottom and she stood up.

"Alright, we're done here," she said. She began to move towards the corridor when she thought she heard something. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Something wrong?" AK asked. Kaida shot her a glare that silenced her. There it was again. Loud footsteps and voice, coming closer. She went very pale and looked at Jerid.

"Jerid, was there any other way out on that map in the pamphlet?" she asked, her voice all of a sudden very quiet. He pulled it out and looked at it.

"Nope, not that I can see," he said, leaning against a portion of the wall. So they were stuck here until whoever came in and saw them and had them arrested.

"Quick, put the torches out," she said. "Phailin, come here," she said, wrapping her arms around the child when she came over. She lifted her up and placed her head on her shoulder. The light quickly went out as the voices drew closer. At last, Kaida could heard them move by her. She slowed her breathing so that it was as quiet as she could get it. There was a slight hesitation of one of the figures as they passed, but they seemed to shrug it off as their imagination.

"Anyone got a light?" one asked. Kaida heard what seemed like two people fumbling for something that would light up the room. She moved toward the passageway, her skirt ruffling against the wall. All sound stopped.

"Who's there?" came one of the voices. Kaida bolted out of the passageway, knowing it was straight for a long while. She heard the others following her, but then they branched off and she stopped. She could hear the confused voices of the other people.

"How many were there?" "Which way did they go?" "Where is my lighter!" Phailin clutched her mother tightly.

"Momma," she whispered. "I'm scared." Kaida stroked her hair with on hand.

"I'm going to let you down now," she said. "You keep a real good hold on my skirt, alright?"

"Yes momma," she said, clutching to her skirt for dear life. Kaida began to slink down the corridor quietly, listening for voices and footsteps. She vaguely wondered where Jerid, AK, and Ian were, but she didn't dwell on it for too long. When she felt like she was far enough away from the voices, she slowed down and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

A hand clapped around her mouth and Kaida's eyes went wide with shock. She was about to scream, not caring who heard, but a familiar voice sounded in her ear.

"What are you doing? We've been waiting for you," Ian said. Kaida let out a sigh of relief.

"Trying not to have a heart attack, thank you very much," she hissed. Phailin heard Ian's voice and stumbled blindly over to him, giving him a hug. He smiled and began to usher them out down a back corridor he and the others had found. Actually, what had happened was Jerid had fallen and hit some sort of switch and it triggered a hidden passageway, though Kaida didn't need to know that.

* * *

It had taken only a few moments for Ben and the others to get the copy of the hieroglyphics on the sarcophagus because Riley had thought ahead and brought a digital camera. After Riley had found a lighter in one of his coat pockets and lit one of the torches that lay abandoned on the floor, they were easily able to get a picture of the sarcophagus. They too were on their way out when they saw a rather large group of people walking away from the tomb. They would have paid no heed, except for a familiar blonde head was in their midst. Without a word to one another, they agreed to move quickly. They had to get to the treasure before Ian.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think. No flames please. Constructive criticism accepted._


	12. Chapter 11

_Hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to get past my bout of writer's block. _

* * *

Chapter 11

* * *

Kaida and Ian walked into a stately looking research facility. Kaida had a hold on Ian's arm and tried to make it look natural. Ian looked around. The walls were decorated with painted hieroglyphics. He stopped for a moment to look before Kaida pulled on his arm. They walked to the front desk where a young woman sat, filing her nails as she looked up at them. 

"Welcome, how may I help you?" she asked. She didn't sound entirely thrilled to be pulling this shift.

"I wish to speak with Dr. Majid," Kaida said. The girl looked at a clipboard and shook her head.

"I'm sorry ma'am, Dr. Majid sees no one without an appointment," she said. Kaida smiled.

"Tell him Miss Ilori is here to see him," she said. The young woman sighed and got up.

"Hold on." She walked into a hallway and down to a door near the end. She knocked lightly and it opened. She whispered something to the man inside and she walked out, the man following her.

"Welcome," he said. "Kaida, I have not seen you in ages." Ian shifted, still looking at the doctor. He wanted to get this over with. Ben couldn't be far behind them. The doctor smiled at him and turned his gaze to Kaida. "But who is your impatient friend. Your fiancée?" Kaida's 'no' was simultaneous with Ian's 'yes'. The doctor quirked an eyebrow. Kaida turned to him.

"What are you talking about? I'm not your fiancée," she said, looking at him strangely.

"Fiancée? Beg your pardon, sir. I thought you said family," he said, shifting uncomfortably. The doctor didn't question this explanation. Kaida turned from Ian and looked at the doctor.

"Kasym, I need to ask you a favor," she said quietly.

"Yes, of course. Anything," he said. She pulled the notepad from her purse and handed it to him.

"I need this translated," she said. He looked at it.

"Accurate illustrations," he said, looking at her. "I always did wonder why you didn't become an archaeologist."

"I don't have the patience for archaeology. I'd rather fund the research," she said. He smiled.

"And we appreciate your donation. Follow me and we'll see what I can do," he said. As they left, Ben walked in with Abigail on his arm. Behind them, Riley made himself inconspicuous. They glanced at their retreating backs and looked at the girl, who didn't look too thrilled. Ben walked up to her, Abigail glancing at the walls.

"Excuse me, Miss," he said. She looked up.

"Yes?"

"Do you know the way to get to the pyramids of Giza?" he asked. The girl sighed.

"Do you have a map?"

"No, I'm sorry. We don't," he said.

"Let me see if I can find you one," she said. She bent down and began rifling through the drawers. As she was distracted, Riley walked silently past her and down the hall. He listened and heard Ian's familiar voice.

"So what does it say?" he asked.

"Well," came an unfamiliar male voice. "It seems to be a riddle of sorts. It says:

_Sleeping Guardian_

_Divine Tombs_

Sacrifice of Horus I see what no one else sees" Riley scratched it out on the pad he had brought with him. "So what does it mean?" came an unfamiliar female voice. 

"I cannot tell you that. I don't know," came the unidentified male speaker. Riley had heard enough. He crept back down the hallway and snuck past the young woman, who was talking to Ben, who pretended to be engrossed in what she was saying. He nodded to Abigail who tapped Ben on the shoulder subtly. He smiled.

"Thank you very much for your help," he said, taking the map from her. She gave a half-hearted smile.

"You're welcome. She watched them leave and sighed. "Today is not my day."

* * *

_Any ideas and feedback are appreciated. Please review. Constructive criticism welcomed and appreciated but no flames please. _

_ERH_


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